Monday, September 27, 2010

This is a pencil drawing of a friend for the Book of Souls project. Karin is a writer/translator from Austria who lives up in Vermont. She was visiting us yesterday, so I enlisted her for The Book of Souls.

Karin Hanta for The Book of Souls, 2010, black pencil on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Book of Life is the new, improved title for what was previously known as the Souls sketchbook.

Front cover (the angel of life and death).

The book.

Back cover (figure in a vessel).

The following explicatory text is copied from my Flickr posting that accompanied the center image of the book above:THE BOOK OF LIFE

This is a photo of The Book of Life (aka Souls sketchbook) in situ on the table in my studio where I created it.

It was originally intended to be the book wherein the images for The Book of Souls (ongoing collaboration with Tim Lowly) would be created. However, things diverged, as they do, & the images gradually (or quite quickly) became something else. However, the original name stuck, as I'd inscribed it on the forehead of the face (angel?) on the cover.

However, now that the book is complete & the dust has settled, I decided it would avoid confusion (for me, at least) to rename the book, so it's now The Book of Life...

I've renamed it thusly, as I like the sound of the name, but also:

1. George Frederic Watts, a Victorian symbolist painter that Martin Beek (Flickr associate) reminded me of, had a concept entitled "The House of Life", a building which would feature a cycle of frescos or murals depicting various aspects of the human life cycle, etc. He never realized his dream, never finding a suitable building available. So, this is for you, GFW.

2. In the Yom Kippur (which occurred recently) service, on the Day of Atonement, the names of the righteous are inscribed (metaphysically speaking) into the Book of Life before it is closed until the next year.

In any case, this sketchbook covers many aspects of human existence & beyond. Parts of it are unclear, unfinished, unsuccessful & so forth. However, I feel that it also contains some of my best work so far.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Here are some new double-page spreads from the Souls sketchbook. The title of the book is becoming more and more a misnomer, as my thought processes extend far beyond the concept of the human soul, or far below, depending on your point of view. It strikes me that the images in this sketchbook could fuel my work for the next several decades, should I wish to convert them into more fully realized pieces.

Pages 113 & 114: the coming storm and the impending collapse of babel.

Pages 115 & 116: titanic.

pages 117 & 118: the final battle between good and evil and all else in between.

This is a new ink sketch I did this morning. I think it may be an important piece (too early to tell) & I may revisit this or a more developed theme in the future. Basically, it describes a vision of the universe that I tend to have, that sees us (the human race) as specks of dust on an obscure ball of mud somewhere in a corner of the cosmos, subject to the will of beings or forces far beyond our comprehension...and all of this taking place within the blink of an eye...

Friday, September 03, 2010

Here are 4 new double-page spreads from this sketchbook, which, I suppose, is a meditation on the world & what it means to be human (& presumably to have a soul). The book is approx. 11" x 8.5", so each spread is therefore approx. 11" x 17".

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About Me

I'm a British artist currently resident in upstate New York, where I live in the wondrous Hudson Valley with my wife & children. My work deals with imagination, myth, the human condition & social issues, and the way they intersect & allow us to understand the world. I've exhibited extensively in Europe, the USA, & more recently, Israel. You can see more of my work at www.ayton.net.
Regarding re-using my artwork from this blog (for not-for-profit purposes): in most cases, it's OK. Please credit me as the creator of the image, & if possible link to the page where you found the piece. If the image is used in an inappropriate setting, I will most likely ask you to remove it. Thanks.